Forward Deployed Engineering Manager (f/m/d)

We help the world run better At SAP, we keep it simple: you bring your best to us, and we'll bring out the best in you. We're builders touching over 20 industries and 80% of global commerce, and we need your unique talents to help shape what's next. The work is challenging – but it matters. You'll find a place where you can be yourself, prioritize your wellbeing, and truly belong. What's in it for you? Constant learning, skill growth, great benefits, and a team that wants you to grow and succeed.

What you'll build

In this role, you lead and grow a team of senior engineers, data scientists, and AI practitioners embedded directly within SAP's most strategic customer environments. As a Director-level people manager, you are accountable for the performance, development, and wellbeing of your team — while also owning the delivery outcomes, technical quality, and customer impact of forward-deployed engagements at scale. You operate at the intersection of people leadership, technical strategy, and customer excellence — translating organizational goals into team direction, and ensuring your team has the support, clarity, and environment to do their best work.

Lead, coach, and develop a team of senior engineers and AI practitioners, fostering a high-performance culture grounded in accountability, collaboration, and continuous growth. Own team performance, including goal setting, feedback cycles, career development, and talent planning. Drive delivery excellence across multiple forward-deployed customer engagements, ensuring outcomes align with agreed success criteria and SAP's engineering and quality standards. Set technical direction and architectural guardrails for the team, in partnership with Chief Experts and technical leads. Act as a senior escalation point for delivery risks, team challenges, and customer concerns — resolving issues with clarity and decisiveness. Build strong relationships with senior customer stakeholders and SAP leadership, representing the team's work and advocating for the resources needed to succeed. Attract, hire, and onboard top engineering talent across AI, data, and software engineering disciplines. Partner with product, go-to-market, and regional leadership to align team capabilities with strategic priorities and customer demand. Champion engineering best practices, responsible AI principles, and a culture of learning and innovation within the team.

What you bring

Proven experience leading and managing senior engineering teams, with a track record of building high-performing, inclusive, and motivated engineering organizations. Strong technical background in AI, machine learning, data engineering, or software engineering — with the credibility to guide technical decisions and earn the trust of expert engineers. Deep understanding of forward-deployed or customer-embedded delivery models, and experience managing complex, high-stakes customer engagements.  Strong problem-solving skills and design thinking approach; ability to balance strategic thinking with hands-on delivery accountability. Demonstrated ability to develop talent, navigate organizational complexity, and drive alignment across diverse, cross-functional stakeholders. Proven ability to work in an Agentic AI context — understanding and shaping how AI agents are applied within teams and customer environments. Experience hiring and scaling engineering teams across regions, with a strong instinct for talent and a commitment to diversity and inclusion. Excellent communication and influencing skills — able to engage effectively with engineers, executives, and customers alike. Familiarity with SAP AI technologies and enterprise AI deployment realities is a strong advantage.

You will be part of a growing AI and industry expert leadership team serving customers across the Americas, Europe, and Asia. At this level, your most important product is your team